Combined tractor, roller, and plow.



R. U. WOLFE.

COMBINED TRACTOR, ROLLER, AND PLOW.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.12. [9!6. 1,225,@l2. I Patented May15,1917.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 1 R. U. WOLFE.

COMBINED TRACTOR, ROLLER, AND HOW.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.12.I9I6.

Patented May 15, 1917.

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R. u. WOLFE. COMBINED TRACTOR, ROLLER, AND PLOW.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.12 196. 1,225,91 Q: Patented May 15, 1917.

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APPLICATION FILED AUG.12. I916. 1,225,123 Patented May15, 1917.

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COMBINED TRACTOR, ROLLER, AND PLOW.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 15, 191?.

Application filed August 12, 1916. Serial No. 114,511.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that 1, ROBERT U. WOLFE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Omaha, in the county of Douglas and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Combined Tractor, Roller, and Plow, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in tractors, and has for its object to provide a vehicle having parts so arranged that it may be adjusted for use as a tractor for drawing heavy loads, or as a roller in the construction of road beds or the like, and as a cultivator or plow.

The invention includes the combination with a front rotatable drum and rear drums or followers connected therewith of means for increasing or decreasing the speed without changing the speed of the engine, also stop and starting means independent of the engine, means for steering, and such a mounting for the teeth that they may be simultaneously drawn within the drum whenever c esired for use of the tractor when employed as a roller and means for causing the teeth to move automatically so that they will project outwardly only of that part of the drum which is disposed upon or near the ground, when used for plowing. or cultivatmg.

With the foregoing objects in View and others to be mentioned hereinafter the invention presents a novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts as described herein and claimed, and as illus trated in the drawings, it being understood that changes in form, size, proportion and minor details may be made within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a view in side elevation, partly broken away, showing a combined tractor, roller and plow embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is plan view of the same, the covers or boxes for the drums being removed. Fig. 3 is a view of the machine in longitudinal sec tion on line 3-3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a View showing a part of a drum in longitudinal section, the teeth being withdrawn. Fig. 5 is a view similar to that shown in Fig. 4, the teeth being extender. Fig. 6 is a view showing a part of a drum in transverse section and an extended tooth. Fig. 7 is a plan view showing relative position of a tooth, plunger, rock lever and resiliently mounted shifting-bar. Fig. 8 is a bottom plan view showing a part of the frame for the rear drums or followers, with toothed segment. Fig. 9 is an enlarged broken away detail, being a plan view of one of the speedadjusting shafts. Fig. 10 is an enlarged sectional view between lines 10 l0 and 10 10 of F 9. Fig. 11 is a view of the front drum in transverse section, on an enlarged scale. Fig. 12 is a detail relating to Fig. 11 to illustrate operation.

Referring now to the drawing for a more particular description, numerals l and 2 respectively indicate the frames for the front and rear parts of the tractor, each preferably being provided with a boX or receptacle 3 for containing heavy articles such as rock or the like, so that the weight may be increased or decreased as may be desired. At 41- is indicated a drum for the front of the tractor, having a shaft or axle 5 on which is mounted a sleeve 6. Rearwardly of the drum at are wheels 7 which are mounted on a shaft 8 having hearings in said frame 1, and this frame is provided with a plaform 9 upon which is secured the engine 10, and upon this platform an operator may stand for controlling the machine.

Having bearings in the frame 2 is a shaft 11 upon which is mounted a plurality of sleeves 12, and upon the sleeves 12 are mounted the drums 13, 14 and 15. The frame is provided with a superframe 16 which is disposed parallel with the shaft 11 and above the drums, and is provided with curved arms a which are connected with the front plate Z) of the frame 2; and upon the plate 6 is mounted the segmental strip 17 provided with the upper groove 0 and the lower groove (Z; and member 17 is provided on its bottom with the row of teeth 18.

in order that the front drum may be rotated by operation of the engine, a gear wheel 19 is mounted on the engine shaft 20,

as best shown in Fig. 2, said wheel 19 en gaging the gear wheel 21 of the horizontal, transverse shaft 22, the ends of shaft 22 being provided with the miter gears 23 en gaging the miter gears 2A of the speedadjusting shafts 25.

As best shown in Figs. 2, 9 and 10, each shaft 25 is provided with a sleeve 26. Each sleeve 26 is splined on a shaft 25 and is providedat its front endwith a roller 27 for engagement with one of the ends 6 of the drum A to cause a rotation of the drum, and it is obvious that, if the rollers 27 engage the ends of the drum near its axis, the speed will be comparatively greater, and that the'rotatable movement of the drum will be less, when the rollers engage the ends 0 near the periphery.

It will be understood that only a limited transverse movement of shafts 25 is required for causing frictional engagement or disengagement of the rollers 27, and in order that said rollers may be pressed against the ends 6 of the drum, or disengaged therefrom, each sleeve 26 is provided with a collar 28 to which a link 29 is attached, a hollow shaft 30 being mounted on the steering shaft 31 and provided with arms 32 for a mounting thereon of the inner ends of said links 29, and it will be seen that, by use of handles 33 of the hollow shaft 30, an operator may readily cause engagement or disengagement of the rollers 27 mentioned. As best shown in Fig. 9, the ends of shafts 25 are provided with balls 3A engaging in sockets 35, the sockets being provided with coupling-rings 36 loosely mounted on or near the ends of sleeve 6 so that said shafts 25 may freely rotate; and by the means described it will be seen that the rotatable movement of the drum A may be terminated, at any time, by an operator while the engine is in action.

Means are provided for causing a slidable movement of the sleeves 26 longitudinally of shafts 25, under control of an operator. At 37 are indicated a pair of rock levers mounted to swing upon the standards 38 of the table f, their outer ends being mounted upon collars 39 of sleeves 26, their inner ends being connected with the lever A0 of the toothed sector A1 (Fig. 3), and by use of lever A0, an operator may cause simultaneous, slidable movements of the sleeves 26 longitudinally of shafts 25 for increasing or decreasing the speed of the machine independently of the engine.

For the purpose of steering the machine, as bcst'shown in Fig. 3, a king bolt A2 is mounted in the rear part of the platform and is provided with the pair of adjacent rollers A3 adapted to engage in grooves c and (Z of the segmental strip 17. A gear whee]. AA is adapted to engage the teeth 18 of the strip 17, said wheel being mounted upon shaft A5. The shaft A5 has hearings in hangers A6 which are mounted on the lower side of the platform 9, said shaft being provided with a miter gear A7 in engagement with the miter gear A8 of the steering shaft 31, said shaft 31 being disposed within the hollow shaft 30; and by use of handles A9, when the machine is moving, an operator may cause swinging movements of the rear vehicle frame 2 transversely of the line of draft or travel, so that the machine may move upon curves either to the right or left. In this connection it may be stated that, in instances where it is desired to dispense with the use of the rear drums 13, 1A and 15, the king bolt A2 may be readily removed.

In instances where the machine is used for r ad work, for rolling the ground, all of the drums may be employed, and as is obvious, at that time the plows or cultivator teeth should not project outwardly of the periphery of the drum A. However, when the machine is used for plowing or cultivating, it is not only necessary that the teeth should project outwardly of the drum for the purpose of entering the ground, but it is desirable that the teeth should be withdrawn at each rotation of said drum, so that adhering weeds or like rubbish, which generally accumulate on cultivator teeth, will be automatically removed.

The plow or cultivator teeth are indicated at 50. Numerous apertures 51 are provided in the peripheral wall or shell of the drum A in which these teeth are disposed, each of their inner ends being pivotally mounted upon an end of a rock lever 52. Upon the opposite end of each rock lever 52 is pivotally mounted a plunger bar 53 which traverses the peripheral wall of the drum, its end, outwardly of the drum, being pivotally connected with an attenuated foot piece 5A.

As best shown in Fig. 11, the periphery of sleeve 6 is provided with lugs 55 on which are pivotally mounted crank arms 56, said arms or links 56 being pivotally mounted at their outer ends upon the inner ends of the radially disposed supporting-members or sleeves 57, the rock levers 52 being pivotally mounted upon the outer ends of these sleeves.

Numerals 59 indicate standards which are pivotally secured upon and project inwardly or radially of the peripheral wall of the drum, and which engage in the outer ends of sleeves 57. It will therefore be seen that whenever the machine is to be used'as roller for improvement of streets or highways or for leveling the surface of fields, the sleeve 6 may be partly rotated in either direction, as by use of a pipe wrench-or other suitable tool to cause members 57 to move coincidently toward the shaft 5, as illustrated in Fig. 12 of the drawing, the result being that the plungers 53 and teeth 51 will move inwardly of the peripheral wall of the drum so that they will not obtrude when the machine is used as a roller or when moving from one field to another. While it is true that each foot piece 54 will remain on the outside of the drum, this will not prevent operation since each foot piece is of attenuated form.

Numerals 60 indicate shifting bars. They are disposed parallel with the sleeve 6 and are traversed by the teeth. Numerals 61 indicate springs which are secured upon the inner side of the drum 4, and they operate, normally to move the shifting bars inwardly of the drum, and they cause the teeth to be normally withdrawn or to be moved inwardly of apertures 51, and they cause the teeth and plungers, normally, to be disposed radially of the drum.

In operation, therefore, when the machine is used for mulshing, harrowing, cultivating or plowing, the plungers 53 normally project outwardly of the drum. During the movement of the machine, when members 541 engage the ground, the plungers 53 will be moved inwardly to cause the teeth 50 to move outwardly into the ground, each foot piece immediately below the drum being in engagement with the ground as the drum revolves and being depended upon for moving the plungers inwardly and substantially radially of the drum against the force of the springs. Each foot piece is pressed be tween the lower part of the drum and the ground, once during each rotation of the drum, and when the pressure ceases, the plungers will move outwardly, the teeth moving inwardly.

The teeth and plungers are therefore arranged in pairs, each pair being connected with a rock lever, and a single resiliently actuated shifting bar is suiiicient for causing a movement of several teeth inwardly of the drum. I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the number or shape of the teeth to be employed, as various forms may be required for cultivation or mulshing or plowing, and it is obvious that, while I have specified certain gears for communicating motion from the engine, other equivalent means may be employed.

Having fully explained construction, a further explanation relating to operation is not necessary.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,

1. In an implement for the purpose described, a frame having an axle, a drum revoluble on the axle having its peripheral wall provided with apertures, shifting bars within the drum, resilient means for controlling the movements of the shifting bars, a plurality of plungers traversing the peripheral wall of the drum, each being movable by a movement of a shifting bar, a plu rality of teeth disposed in the apertures of the drum each being connected with a plunger, each of said plungers being adapted to be moved inwardly of the drum against the force-of said resilient means to cause a movement simultaneous therewith of a tooth outwardly of the drum.

2. In an implement for the purpose described, a frame having an axle, a drum supported by the axle and having its peripheral wall provided with apertures, shifting-bars within the drum and disposed approximately parallel with the axle, resilient means for controlling the movements of the shifting bars, rock levers suitably mounted and disposed within the drum and movable by the movements of the shifting bars, a plurality of plungers traversing the peripheral wall of the drum, a plurality of teeth engaging in the apertures of the drum, said plungers and teeth being arranged in pairs and mounted on the rock levers, each of said plungers being adapted to be moved in wardly of the drum against the force of said resilient means to cause a movement simultaneous therewith of a tooth outwardly of the drum.

3. In an implement for the purpose described, a frame having an axle, a drum supported by the axle and having its peripheral wall provided with apertures, shiftingbars within the drum disposed parallel with the axle, resilient means for controlling the movements of the shifting-bars, sleeves normally disposed radially of the drum, rock levers mounted on the sleeves and movable by the movements of the shifting bars, a plurality of plungers traversing the periph* eral wall of the drum, a plurality of teeth engaging the apertures of the drum, said plungers and teeth being arranged in pairs and mounted on the rock levers, each of said plungers being adapted to be moved inwardly of the drum against the force of said resilient means to cause a movement, simultaneously therewith, of a tooth outwardly of the drum, the sleeves being movable longitudinally to permit the shifting bars, plungers and teeth to move inwardly of the drum.

4. In an implement for the purpose described, a frame having an axle, a drum revoluble on the axle and having its peripheral wall provided with apertures, shiftingbars within the drum, springs engaging and normally tending to move the shifting-bars inwardly of the drum, rock levers within the drum, a plurality of plungers traversing the peripheral wall of the drum, a plurality of teeth traversing the shifting-bars and dis- In testimony whereof, I have affixed my posed in the apertures of the drum and pivsignature in presence of tWo Witnesses.

otally mounted on the rock levers each of said plungers being adapted to be nhoved in- ROBERT UDOLPHO WOLFE wardly of the drum subject to the resistance Witnesses: of the springs to actuate at rock lever for HIRAM A. STURGEs, moving a tooth outwardly of the drum. ARTHUR H. STURGES.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

